


Murder and Sinatra

by RaeXD



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Detective!Fenris, I have no idea how to tag, M/M, Noire AU, Pre Fenders, Singing, fenris is a hot mess, it's anders' fault, lounge singer!anders, mention of murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-17 11:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11274399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeXD/pseuds/RaeXD
Summary: Detectives Fenris and Hawke have one last lead to follow up on over a series of murders occurring in Kirkwall. And that lead is a handsome singer with a dark past and a voice that Fenris will never forget.





	Murder and Sinatra

**Author's Note:**

> *leaps out from behind sofa* So! I've had this idea rattling around in my head for some time now and have finally got my act together and written it up. I have a few more ideas for this au including turning this into a full-on murder mystery (if I have the time and brain power) and a crack fic.
> 
> A big thank you with all the hugs and cookies to @damnedapostate on the GbC. discord for helping me with the music choices and kicking my muse from her slumber.
> 
> So yes, happy reading!! I'm going to go hide back behind the sofa now....

"Aaah, my favourite place in Kirkwall." Hawke's comment upon approaching The Hanged Man Lounge and Club was a common one. It was an inexpensive hole-in-the-wall that played smooth jazz during the day and held various musical acts in the evenings and into the night. It was the most popular place in the city. And it was no surprise really; cheap booze, live music and pretty girls, what more could you ask for? Tonight, Fenris was hoping for a lead that wasn’t as cold as the bodies currently being held in Kirkwall Police Department’s morgue.

Fenris lit a cigarette and followed Hawke inside. The elf went to find a table to sit and wait for their man while Hawke went to the bar to get drinks. He grimaced when the only table he could see was right next to the stage, but this was no time to be picky, they had a case to crack. 

Fenris removed his fedora – running his fingers along the small feather sewn into the trim – and got himself seated. Soon after, Hawke came back and handed him a glass of red, of which he took a tentative sip. _Tsk, sour... wonderful_.  
"Keep glaring like that and our guy's never going to talk to us," Hawke chided.  
"My apologies Hawke, I find myself somewhat despondent that considering the grisly nature of this case a _singer_ is the only lead we have now."  
"Better than nothing. And besides, I heard he's quite the looker," Hawke waggled his eyebrows as a sly grin crept over his face.  
"Do not sleep with persons related to a case, I have no desire to repeat what happened with Isabella again," Fenris warned.  
"That was one time and the case got solved. Anyway, this is different." Fenris raised an eyebrow at his fellow detective.  
"Well I mean, if he is the guy we want he won't be related to the case, he'll be part of it."  
"Only if Varric's information checks out and only if he accepts. Even then, sleeping with co-workers is inadvisable."  
"This is about Isabella again isn't it?"  
"Hawke recruiting an informant who betrayed you-", "she came back", "- and who you continue to sleep with, to the KPD is not what I'd call a good use of your skills as a detective."  
"Ugh, fine. I won't proposition the guy. Scouts honour," Hawke said with a mock salute.  
“Anyway, where is he?” Fenris asked, putting out his cigarette in the table’s ashtray.  
“Yeah… About that…” The large man ran his hand through his hair, “see, I asked about him at the bar and the owner overheard and said we would have to wait until show was over.”  
“Brilliant. Just brilliant,” Fenris grumbled. He lit another cigarette. Tonight was going to be a long night. Hawke was about to respond when he heard shushing from a nearby table. The show was about to begin.

The battered curtains on the stage were drawn and the host for the evening stepped out. The crowd clapped enthusiastically as first act was announced and a small, waifish elven woman with short dark hair and big eyes began to sing. She was… ok, but Patsy Cline deserved better. The audience seemed to agree with him, from the less enthusiastic applause as she left. The next singer was a balding Orlesian fellow named Emile who thought he could forget half the lyrics to Buddy Holly’s, Raining in My Heart and no one would notice. Everyone did notice and made it known and the man scurried off stage with tears in his eyes without singing another song. After the third act – he could hardly remember what was being sung, as Fenris spent the entire performance trying not to laugh at the man’s ridiculous feather boa – he ordered another glass of wine and gave up on paying attention. He valued his brain cells too much. 

Hawke kicked him under the table as the second to last act left the stage to a sparse at best applause. “Looks like our guy is the final act,” Hawke whispered.  
“I’m all aquiver,” said Fenris, bored and wishing he had better wine to endure this torture.  
“Hey who knows? Might be good.”  
“Your optimism never ceases to amaze me, Hawke”  
“Shhhhhh!” hissed a patron on the table behind them. Fenris stifled a melodramatic sigh while Hawke did his best to look sheepish.

“And now ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer crowed, “for our final act of the evening and new comer to this establishment. Gentlemen hold on to your ladies, because this southern heartbreaker may just sing his way into her heart.” A pause, with no response. “Ahem… ladies and gentlemen I present to you… Anders!” Not a sound, no clapping, no cheers. Fenris was surprised more people hadn’t left by now. Perhaps they shared Hawkes optimism.

The lights dimmed and a spot light lit the stage as a tall figure walked on from stage right. Fenris leaned forward. This was their man, the one that could help them solve this gruesome case. When Anders walked into the light Fenris made a mental note of his appearance. He was human, tall and lanky as Varric had informed them, not much to look at. Fenris, preparing for disappointment, at least made half an attempt to listen as the music started and Anders began to sing.

“When the marimba rhythms start to play…”

The moment the first words of Dean Martin’s, Sway flowed into the room smooth and sultry, Fenris has no choice but to sit and look closer at this diamond in the rough. He had shoulder length red-blonde hair, half of which was tied back from his handsome face in a ponytail.

“… Dance with me, make me sway…”

He was wearing a well-worn navy blue shirt and a battered black waistcoat with faded silver embroidered feathers. His black tie was loose but his form-fitting slacks were well pressed.

“… Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore…”

His eyes lazily surveyed the audience, a sultry smirk on his lips even as he sang. His gaze made contact with Fenris’ awed stare and all Fenris could think of was honey, followed by a small pang of disappointment as the humans eyes left his to continue drifting around the room.

“… Hold me close, sway me more…”

He wore a gold ring in his left ear. _Matches his eyes_ , Fenris thought before he realised what he was doing and scolded himself. _Focus! What you told Hawke applies to you as well, fool_. He had a job to do and making moon-eyes at the only lead they had was not part of it. He put his head down and took a large gulp of wine.

For the rest of the song and the next few, Fenris attempted to regain control of his errant thoughts with little to no success. His gaze kept drifting back the man on stage, their eyes occasionally meeting and managing to fluster the detective every time. He was glad Hawke seemed as enrapt as he was so he wasn’t able to see the mess Fenris was making himself into. But when the final song started any of the thought control Fenris vainly believed he had gained vanished.

As the band began the intro to Frank Sinatra’s, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Anders bent down over his and Hawkes table. He snagged Fenris’ fedora and placed it on his head, tipping the brim forward so as to partially cover his eyes. With a wink the singer sauntered back to the mic.

“I’ve got you under my skin…”

Fenris stared in utter disbelief as Anders continued to sing. The man’s left foot tapping in time with the music; his slender hands loosely gripping the mic as he serenaded the audience with his warm voice and charming smirk. 

“… I’ve got you deep in the heart of me…”

His gold earring glinted under spotlight causing Fenris to blink. The man who stole his fedora’s eyes met his and stayed there. Fenris couldn’t have looked away if he tried, he was drowning in honey.

“… So deep in my heart, that maybe you’re really a part of me…”

The hat completed Anders. He could keep it. Fenris didn’t need a hat. He could buy a new one. Still gazing into honey Fenris couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped past his lips at the man’s nerve.

“… I’ve got you under my skin…”

As the song progressed Anders continued to look at Fenris for extended periods of time. The room seemed to shrink to just the detective and the beguiling lounge singer. Fenris’ mind only had room for the man on stage. Reality could wait – at least until the end of the song.

The song built to its peak and then softened out as the last lines were sung, as smooth and clear as at the beginning. With the performance at an end Anders removed his stolen fedora with a flick of his wrist and held it to his chest as he bowed to cheers and applause from the whole venue. The spotlight flicked off and his steps could faintly be heard retreating off stage.

When the applause died down and the lights came up Hawke cleared his throat, “Well then better go see if we can talk to this guy. And get your hat back.” Back to reality it was then. Fenris put Anders’ performance in the back of his mind for later, allowed his face to resettle in to its usual position – what Hawke called his “I hate everything” face – and followed his friend over to the staff doors.

\----

The clapping and hollering followed Anders all the way back to his cramped little dressing room and he smiled to himself. He looked down at the pilfered fedora and his smile widened to a full blown grin. He wondered what the white haired elf with the pretty green eyes’ name was. Perhaps it was something exotic like all those curling, white tattoos that disappeared down the collar of his charcoal grey shirt and reappeared on his strong forearms and nimble looking fingers. Anders could think of a few things he wanted those fingers to do. 

A shiver of anticipation raced down his spine as waited for the inevitable call for the gentlemen’s – gentle…elf’s? – hat back. He dabbed his face with a towel and retied his hair. He undid his tie but left it hanging around his neck and undid the first two buttons of his blue shirt. Three buttons… no, two was fine, he didn’t want to seem desperate, just enticing.  
“Anders!” Merrill called, “there are some gentlemen outside who want to talk to you, something about a hat?” The woman looked confused until her eyes landed on the hat in question. “Oh! I see,” she exclaimed, seemingly proud of her own powers of deduction.  
“Yes, well thank you for letting me know Merrill. I will go and see them now,” Anders could barely stop himself from bounding down the corridor like an overexcited hound. _None of that Anders, you are a sensible, mature adult. Think cat, not canine_. 

He got to the staff doors, straightened his back, took a deep breath and with a smile, pushed.

“Hello Dr. Anders,” a large man with dark hair and a fantastic beard greeted. He was about to reply when the man reached into his pocket and produced a badge as did his pretty white haired friend. “Detective Inspector Hawke and Detective Inspector Fenris, KPD Homicide. We’ve been informed that you may be just the man we need to crack our current case.”  
Anders smile fell. “I’m sorry Detectives, but I’m a lounge singer, so I am not sure why you would believe that.” _Maker, if you have any love for me at all. They. Will. Not. Know_. Detective Hawke looked a little puzzled at what Anders said. His companion – Fenris, he liked that name – shifted a little and crossed his arms, his biceps flexing under the material of his shirt, his face unreadable.  
The detective seemed to recover and asked, “You are Anders right? Doctor Anders? Former Mortician for the Ferelden Police’s Warden branch?”  
_Shit. Maker, I hate you and any consideration I had for going to the Chantry on Sundays is now gone forever_. “Oh! Right, then yes. That’s me, hello,” Anders admitted, a sinking feeling in his gut.

“Phew… thought we sat through all that for nothing for a second there,” Hawke laughed and slapped his hand on Anders shoulder. “Righty-ho then, you my friend are a real life saver, quite literally. With you on the case we’ll catch this murdering scumbag in no time. Come on then.” Anders mind went in to temporary shock as the big bearded man began to lead him across the lounge to the exit.  
“H-Hey! Wait! I didn’t agree to anything!” he exclaimed, mildly hysterical.  
“Ah, don’t worry when we show you what we’re dealing with there’s no way you’ll be able to say no,” Hawke smiled jovially at Anders as he herded him outside, his elven partner a silent shadow. Hawke opened the door to what Anders assumed to be the detectives car and ushered him inside. Hawke then entered the driving seat and Fenris walked round to the front passenger seat. “We will explain once we get to the station, so for now just sit back and relax Doctor.” Anders was speechless, he looked to Detective Fenris for some kind of… he didn’t know. Support maybe? For the white haired detective to tell his partner he was being insane? But no, instead green eyes dropped to the hat Anders still had clutched to his chest.  
“Oh look Fen, the good doctor has your hat!” Hawke exclaimed as he removed the fedora from Anders grip and placed it wonkily on Fenris’ head. “Much better, you look weird without a hat Fen did I ever tell you that…”Anders tuned out whatever else the exuberant Detective was saying as the car engine started and pulled out of the parking lot. 

Anders had thought tonight would end with getting laid, but no instead he was being dragged right back into a world he fought so hard to leave. It would seem he hadn’t fought hard enough.

**Author's Note:**

> *peeks out from behind sofa* Thank you for reading to the end!! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feel free to leave kudos or a comment or both, I'd love to know what you thought ^__^


End file.
